Another Time, Another Place
by Hidge
Summary: AU - What if Jackson and April had met under different circumstances? A series of crazy, unrelated one shots. Japril fun! Please R&R!
1. For King and Country

**A/N: Sorry for not posting anything in so long! I just started my internship and I am very busy. I am, however, working on the new chapters of TRKoW and WWCB. Stay tuned.**

**So this idea is a little out there and I don't blame you if you're not interested, I just think it'll be fun. Essentially this series will be unrelated AU one shots - I'm calling it the crazy AU series. Lol. This one was inspired by _Game of Thrones_. Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters but some of these things are mine!**

* * *

Catherine pulled up her dress in a rather un-lady like manner and rushed through the castle hallways in a rage. She passed her ladies-in-waiting and they stepped aside without a word. They knew that the Queen's rage could only mean one thing. Her rage signified that she had once again lost track of her son, and on today of all days.

She spotted two chatting guards and approached them with a huff. "Have either of you seen my son?"

Both men, startled by the Queen's presence, stood up straighter and addressed her respectfully. "Your grace, I believe the Prince is down by the lake."

"And what is he doing down there?" She questioned in annoyance.

The man who had responded to her glanced at his partner fearfully. "Uhh…it's where he goes to relax, your grace. He goes there with the servant girl."

Catherine shrieked in outrage. "I knew it! One of you, go and find him! Drag him back to the castle if you have to! He's just doing this to drive me mad!"

* * *

"So," Jackson mused as he skipped a small stone across the lake. "I've been told that I have to marry this girl every day for as long as I can remember and yet I'm only meeting her now. It's the most idiotic thing that I've ever heard."

He was trying not to outwardly appear as frustrated and upset as he truly felt about this situation. The Greys, the royal family from the North, were arriving this evening with their youngest daughter, Alexandra. His future Queen. He had come down to the lake to get some peace and quiet, and he at least knew that he could openly express his displeasure in front of April, the one person that he could trust with all of his thoughts, his deepest, darkest secrets and even his sometimes traitorous feelings towards the Crown and his legacy.

April glanced up from her book and smiled wryly at her best friend. He had been ranting about this for days. She supposed that she couldn't fault him for it. She shared a lot of his opinions; she just didn't see the point of voicing them aloud. Her thoughts didn't matter to anyone.

"I'm sure she feels the same exact way," she stated quietly. He looked down at her almost as if he were surprised, or perhaps offended. "You're very handsome," she laughed, "and you're from a great bloodline but what if she thinks this is as idiotic as you do."

He sat down next to her with a sigh. "Yeah, perhaps," he agreed. "Why can't I just marry whomever I want?" He muttered petulantly.

"Because it doesn't work that way," she answered as she kept her eyes focused on the book in her lap. She was glad that Queen Catherine had kindly taught her how to read at a young age. Books were her refuge in a lot of awkward situations. She quickly raised her head after a silence and offered him an encouraging smile. "Maybe when you're King you can change it."

He ignored her comment that had been meant to be uplifting. "I guess I just want to be in love with who I marry," he confessed quietly. "Is that too much to ask?"

"No," April whispered back. "Or at least I don't think so. You can learn to love her though." She wasn't sure why she was trying to sell him on his future wife that he hadn't even met yet. It was the last thing that she wanted. "Love isn't instant."

Jackson smiled sarcastically as he mindlessly plucked at the grass near his feet. "That's not how the stable boy tells it. One look at you and his entire world changed forever."

A fierce blush spread across April's cheeks. "Well Matthew is very sweet."

He wiped his face against his shoulder to hide his scowl. "So you're going to marry him then?"

April thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip before she nodded. "My parents want me to and I don't have anybody else asking for my hand. He's a good man; he'll be a good father."

An uneasy feeling settled in Jackson's stomach as he realized what her marriage meant for him. "So you'd move out of the castle?"

She nodded again. "Yes."

He swallowed a large lump in his throat. She had lived in the castle her entire life; she had been born there, just like him. It was her home too. It just so happened that his parents had been King and Queen and her parents had been their servants. Her mother worked in the kitchen and her father was in charge of the fields and the crops.

April had been born in the spring and he in the summer, and her station hadn't mattered to him when he had decided to befriend her. And it didn't matter to him now either.

He leaned in closer to her and pressed his forehead against the side of her head. "I don't want you to move out of the castle," he whispered. "I'd have nobody to talk to."

"You'd have a wife to talk to," she replied.

"I don't want a wife that I don't know. I want you," he added after a pause.

"Jackson," she croaked. "We've talked about this."

It seemed as if it was all that they had been able to talk about for the past three months, since her sixteenth name day. He had known that as soon as that day passed her parents would become concerned with lining up a husband for her. He didn't want her to marry the stable boy; he wanted her to marry _him_. His time was dwindling fast though. Matthew the stable boy had asked for her hand and he and Alexandra Grey were set to get married immediately after his sixteenth name day, which was in less than a fortnight. He knew what he wanted, he just couldn't have it. He was in love with the girl that he had grown up with, the girl that he had chased around the castle because he had had no one else his age to play with, the girl that had helped him steal his grandfather's horse, the girl whose lap he had cried in when his father had been killed in battle, the girl that he had taught how to hold a sword and shoot an arrow. He wanted to marry the girl that he had shared his first kiss with.

But she reminded him time and time again that his family would never allow him to marry a servant girl. The facts just didn't seem to be getting through to him though because he kept returning to the subject.

He turned his head and motioned for his guards to turn around before he threaded his hand through her hair and pressed his lips to hers. His guards, who had watched him his entire life, knew about his feelings for April but he wanted at least a little privacy. He also knew that all of the watching eyes made her nervous.

She pulled away from him with a whisper. "Jackson, stop it."

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before he gently caressed her cheek. "What's wrong?"

April let out a hollow laugh as she averted her gaze from his. "What's wrong?" She repeated to herself. "That's quite the question isn't it?" She hopped to her feet and brushed off the skirt of her dress. "I have to go and get ready for tonight."

Jackson watched her walk away in frustration, and was about to call out to her when he heard the distinct clanking of someone running in armour. He got to his feet as well and turned towards the guard running towards him.

"Your mother demands that you return to the castle," he stated breathlessly. "She told me to drag you if I have to, my Prince."

Jackson rolled his eyes with a sigh as he started to walk up the small hill. "Dramatic, isn't she?" He asked with a smirk.

* * *

Jackson waltzed into his chambers and spotted his mother sitting on his bed. She was clearly not impressed with his behaviour today, but he didn't have it in him to care.

"Do you have any idea how important today is?" She asked him.

He nodded solemnly. "I do."

His marriage to a Grey meant that the South and the North would once again be reunited. No more war, they would live in a time of peace, and that was important to him since he had lost his father to a war with the North. If Alexandra didn't like him, or if her father decided to change his mind, then they would have to find another way to achieve peace. And that was much more difficult.

Today was a very important day…he just had a hard time convincing himself that it was more important than April.

"Well you're not acting like it," she shot accusingly. "You will be on your best behaviour when she arrives. You will have to be your most charming self."

He nodded again as he sat down beside her. "I know what I have to do. That doesn't mean I'm happy about it."

"What's got you so upset?" She asked in a much softer voice. "Is it the servant girl?"

"Her name is April," he bit out.

"I know that," Catherine cooed as she rubbed his back. She knew all about the little red-headed girl that had always been by her son's side. "And you can keep her if you want."

Jackson raised his head in interest. "What do you mean?"

She leaned forward and kissed her son gently on the forehead. "You're going to be King, baby, you can do whatever you want. You have to marry the Grey girl, for the sake of the realm, but you don't have to like her. You'll need to be cordial and united when you're out in public and you'll need to produce heirs, but outside of that you can do _whatever you want_," she emphasized. "You can be with _whoever you want_."

"So I could be with April?" He asked tentatively.

Catherine nodded. "Of course. You're going to be _King_," she grinned. "The world is at your feet."

Jackson's heart soared at all of the possibilities. "How would I do it, mother?" He asked eagerly. "How can I be with her?"

Catherine smiled at his innocence. He had a very limited view of the world for an heir to the throne. "You just have to give the word."

* * *

The Greys arrived just before dusk, with a full guard and a carriage full of servants. Jackson bowed to Alexandra and gently kissed her hand, and she at least didn't seem to hate him on sight. Jackson couldn't deny that she was very pretty. Lovely eyes and long, brown hair. He certainly hadn't expected her to be so good-looking.

After initial greetings, everyone quickly moved into the great hall for the feast and he politely told his future Queen all about the castle and the kingdom.

"Your countryside certainly is beautiful," the woman sitting beside him commented.

"Thank you," he smiled. "We can go for a ride on horseback tomorrow if you'd like."

"That sounds nice," she beamed. "I'd like that."

He turned to look at his mother and saw that she was practically overwhelmed with emotion. Clearly he was behaving the way that she wanted him to, and he actually didn't mind. He was sort of enjoying himself. The food was delicious and Alexandra was nice to talk to…but he didn't miss April moving about the room, laying down plates of food and taking away dirty dishes. He had never felt comfortable with April waiting on him and today was no exception. In fact, he felt even more uncomfortable today than usual.

Usually, when it was just his family and his council, he would make playful jokes while she served him. She would always fire something back at him but tonight she had to remain silent. And sometimes he would deliberately be the last one to leave the table just so that he could invite April to eat with him. His mother had never liked that very much but she had never forbade it. Tonight it was obvious that she would eat in the kitchen with the rest of the servants.

But he had to keep reminding himself that things would be different once he got married. Because of what his mother had told him, he knew that he could be King, she wouldn't have to serve him his meals, _and _they could be together.

He sent her a tender smile as she laid a large plate of bread down in front of him and Alexandra. "Thank you, April."

"You're welcome, your grace," she replied in a whisper.

The red-head could feel her cheeks begin to heat under his gaze so she fled the great hall and returned to the kitchen as gracefully as possible. She heard running footsteps behind her and she knew that it was her younger sister, Kimberly, hurrying to catch up with her.

"What's it like out there?" Little Alice asked excitedly when she spotted her sisters walking into the hectic kitchen.

April opened her mouth to respond to her baby sister but Kimberly beat her to it. "April was drooling over Prince Jackson again."

"I was not!" April screeched indignantly.

Their mother, who was standing next to the large fire, turned around and stared at her daughters sternly. "Girls," she warned.

Kimberly crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "Well it's true," she argued. "She needs to grow up, mother. Like the Prince would ever fall in love with her. It's ludicrous!"

All of the other servants in the kitchen looked at the Kepner girls with a mixture of pity and curiosity. They had all heard rumours and murmurings but they didn't know if they were true. April quickly grew anxious with everyone's staring so she fled the kitchen with tears in her eyes.

She ran as far into the belly of the castle that she could go without going down into the dungeons. She sat on the floor and cried into the skirt of the nicest dress she owned. The Queen had wanted everyone to look their best for the Greys so she was wearing the dress her father had gotten her for her sixteenth name day and her mother had plaited her long hair into a single braid. She did look rather nice…but nothing compared to Alexandra Grey.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there and just cried before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She knew that it was her mother just by her touch so she pressed her face into her neck and cried even harder.

"Shhh sweetheart," her mother whispered.

"I was not drooling over him," she whimpered.

"I know, I know," she replied understandingly.

She was fully aware of what was really going on between her second eldest daughter and the Prince. For two years now she had been afraid of Prince Jackson's thoughts about April. She had been afraid that his thoughts were strictly indecent and selfish, but then she had noticed the way that he looked at her. The Prince looked at her daughter the way that her husband looked at her, the way that the late King had looked at Queen Catherine. April certainly was not in love with a boy that would never love her back. He already did love her and then some.

"It's not good to dwell on these things," she continued.

April nodded and responded sadly. "I know. Matthew's lovely," she added after a moment.

She forced a smile as she looked down at her daughter. "Yes, he is. I think he's rather smitten."

Joseph had already made up his mind that April was going to marry the chivalrous stable boy. She, however, was a little more reluctant to approve of the marriage since she knew that her daughter's heart already belonged to another.

"I want to get married as soon as possible," April spoke up determinedly.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Are you sure?"

The younger woman nodded. "Yes." Her younger sister was right, she needed to grow up. She would never be with Jackson so she needed to start her life with Matthew. The longer that she held on to Jackson the more he would eat away at her, until there was nothing left.

* * *

Jackson stayed in the great hall until Alexandra bid him goodnight. The feast was long over and singing, dancing, and drinking had commenced. He wasn't as fond of those things as others around him so he roamed the castle instead.

Well, he didn't roam. He walked with a purpose. He knew exactly what he was looking for and he was thrilled once he found it.

Jackson raced up behind April and grabbed her by the waist. She squealed in surprise and he laughed as he pulled her behind a nearby curtain. He placed both of his hands on the wall on either side of her body, effectively trapping her body with his own.

He gazed down at her with a grin before licking his lips. "Hi," he breathed. "You look lovely."

She ignored his compliment and got right to the point. "What are you doing?" She asked in a slight panic.

"Relax," he told her soothingly. "I had to come and find you. I couldn't wait any longer to tell you."

"Tell me what?" She asked curiously.

"I know how we can be together," he revealed with a bright smile. "For the rest of our lives."

April's eyes widened and she placed her hands on his shoulders. And with those words all of her earlier convictions about marrying Matthew vanished. "Really? You talked to your mother?"

He nodded enthusiastically before he leaned down to kiss her. He eagerly pressed his mouth against hers and she whimpered as she tentatively kissed him back. He grinned as he pressed his forehead against hers and exhaled happily. He wanted to do a lot more of that, and then some.

Maybe tonight…if she wanted to…

"Don't marry Matthew, stay in the castle, you won't have to work in the kitchen anymore, and we can be together whenever we want." He gave her a quick kiss before he continued excitedly, "When I don't have to be with Alexandra, we can spend all day and _all night_ together." His eyes trailed over her as his hands skimmed up her sides. "Doesn't that sound perfect?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion and she leaned away from his kiss. "You're asking me to be a castle whore?"

"What? No!" He answered quickly. "It wouldn't be like that. You'd be…well…you'd be mine." He raised a hand so that he could lift her chin. "Nobody else would be able to touch you," he told her as he looked her in the eye. "It'd just be you and me." He brushed his nose along hers and smiled sincerely.

"But she would be your Queen," April replied factually. "She'd sit beside you in court. She'd be on your arm when you walked through the countryside. She'd bear your children. And I would be your whore, there's no nicer way to say it. We'd only be allowed to be together in the privacy of your chambers," she rationalized. "If I had any children they'd be called bastards. Everyone I know would look at me with pity and disgust. How is that _perfect_?"

The smile that Jackson had been wearing for the majority of the day quickly disappeared. He had thought that it was such a brilliant plan, a way for them to be together, but April saw it entirely differently. She saw herself as his plaything. He didn't want to treat her the way that some other men in the castle treated servant girls. That's not what he wanted.

He struggled to find the right words to explain himself. "April…"

She shook her head before he could say anything else. "I may not be much," she spoke with a shaky voice, "but I'm better than that."

Jackson took a step backwards in shock and that was all of the space that she needed to slip away from him and run down the hallway.

* * *

Jackson sulked around the castle for the next hour or so. With a few words he had ruined everything, and he had just said what his mother had told him. She had made it sound so simple, so ideal. But he understood why April had walked away. Her older sister Olivia had been sent away to serve a lord in a similar way and he knew that she didn't want that life. She wanted a husband and children.

He raised his head when he heard footsteps approaching him. He smiled faintly at the captain of his guard. "Not partaking in the festivities, Sir Sloan?"

The older man shook his head. "No, my Prince. I've been keeping an eye on you, not that you've noticed."

Jackson looked away bashfully but he should have known. Sir Sloan had followed him around the castle like a shadow since he could walk. "What did you hear?" He asked quietly.

"Nothing that you did not wish me to hear," the knight replied obediently.

The Prince chuckled. "Yeah, right."

He trusted Sir Sloan unconditionally; he would even consider him to be a friend. The man had been knighted at the mere age of seventeen and he had been one of his father's most trusted soldiers.

They matched strides as they continued to walk down the dimly lit hallway. Eventually Sloan spoke to break the silence. "Matters of the heart are nothing to laugh about, your grace."

"Such things shouldn't be of concern to a future King," he replied diplomatically.

"That's what they want you to think. They want you to believe that your happiness doesn't matter."

Jackson chuckled at the man's serious tone; he wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to those statements. Were they jokes or facts? Whatever the answer was, he didn't find out.

They rounded the corner and spotted one of the Greys' guards. The man was standing with his back to them but it was apparent that he had a woman held against his chest, mostly likely a servant girl of the castle. The young woman didn't seem to be a complacent party but they had extended the full range of their hospitality to the Greys and Jackson knew exactly what that implied.

But he didn't like it.

Sloan sensed the Prince's uneasiness so he took a step forward. "What is going on here?"

"Nothing, sir," the young guard responded. He probably wasn't much older than Jackson. "Just showing this pretty little thing to my chambers."

"Does she want to go with you?" Jackson spoke up authoritatively.

"Just a little shy is all."

He held the girl's face so tightly against him that they were unable to get a good look at her, and they were willing to bet that the hand that they couldn't see was covering her mouth. But Jackson recognized the shade of her hair, only three girls in the castle possessed that shade of auburn and only two of them were tall enough to be the girl in front of him. It was either the girl that he was in love with or her little sister.

"Let her go," Jackson demanded fiercely. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword and he realized that he was prepared to fight if he had to.

Sloan noticed his movement and grasped his sword as well. "I'd do what the Prince says if I were you."

The man from the North sneered before he tossed the girl in his arms to the floor. "I'll be telling Lady Alexandra about this."

Sloan sent the Prince a meaningful look before he grabbed the Northern guard by the scruff of the neck and guided him away.

Jackson's heart rate accelerated as he rushed to the floor. As terrible as it sounded, he had really hoped that the girl was Kimberly, and not April. Unfortunately that had not been the case.

"April, are you okay?" He asked frantically. The sleeves of her dress were practically torn off and her lip was bleeding.

The man had hit her.

He gently tried to pick her up but she brushed his hands away. "I'm fine," she whispered. "Jackson, I'm fine."

"April," he cooed. "You're bleeding and you're hurt. Just let me…" He didn't finish his sentence but he placed his hands underneath her and she let him lift her into his arms.

He carried her to his chambers and set her down on the bed. He quickly retrieved a bowl of water and a fresh cloth and started to clean her face. She winced when he touched the cloth to her mouth and he could feel his hands begin to shake in anger.

"I should have his head," he told her.

"And what good would that do?" She asked in frustration. "It would ruin the peace that your mother has worked so hard for. The peace that you're marrying for." She stood up, with the intention of leaving his room and returning to her own, but Jackson grasped her hand. She looked down at him with a small smile. "What?"

"I love you, you have to know that," he whispered.

She smiled as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his temple. "I do and I really wish that it mattered."

* * *

Four days later April married the stable boy and moved out of the castle. The boy's deceased father had left him a small house near the water, far enough away from the castle that Jackson couldn't see the property from any of the windows. He and Alexandra married the day after his name day and it was a celebration for both the South and the North. Although he was not yet of age to truly govern the realm, they were the new King and Queen and everyone seemed overjoyed by their union. People danced in the streets for days after the wedding.

They were the perfect royal bride and groom in both appearance and mannerisms but the celebration ended once the doors to Jackson's chambers closed. Alexandra had her own quarters but they spent the night together.

Seven days later and they still hadn't joined as man and wife. At first Alexandra had been quite relieved. She had been very nervous and had figured that Jackson had picked up on her uneasiness. He had been sweet and considerate and they had talked until morning on their first two nights together. But since then he hadn't said much, and he hadn't even made a move to kiss her or touch her. He seemed absolutely disinterested in her altogether and she was not happy about it.

He spent the entirety of his days in his chambers. He wouldn't talk to any members of his council. He was barely responsive when his mother spoke to him. The only person that he seemed willing to talk to was Sir Sloan.

Alexandra was beginning to worry and she knew that the trusted knight was the only person who could answer her questions.

"Sir Sloan," she began firmly as she walked towards the highly respected man. "King Jackson is he…" She tilted her head towards the door to his chambers and finished quietly, "Does he get like this often?"

She needed to know exactly what she had gotten herself into. Her father and mother hadn't mentioned the King's "spells" when they had talked about him. He was supposed to be the most handsome, charming, intelligent young man in both the North and the South. The most prized husband in all of the lands. He was the heir to the throne! But so far she was unimpressed. He wouldn't even get out of bed. That's not how a King was supposed to act! It certainly wasn't how a Northern man would rule.

Sloan paused before answering honestly. "No, your grace. The King has never behaved like this before."

"Would you happen to know what's going on?" The knight averted his eyes and it was clear that he did know the answer to her question. "Remember, Sir Sloan, your Queen is inquiring."

Sloan cleared his throat and spoke reluctantly. "The King's close friend…April, the servant girl…she married and left the castle. She—"

"You don't have to say anything else," Alexandra interrupted firmly. "Go get her."

She may be young but she wasn't naïve. Her older sister had warned her about such things. She knew what men wanted and if Jackson wanted this girl then he would have her.

"What?" He responded in confusion.

The Queen narrowed her eyes. "Take men with you and go and get this servant girl and bring her to the King. Drag her back here kicking and screaming if you have to."

The young woman stared at him confidently; she was clearly not backing down. Sloan quickly adhered to orders and left his post. He found two other guards to accompany him to Matthew and April's small home and they left the castle on a mission.

The young man, working in the garden, was startled to see the King's guards walking towards him. This was not an everyday occurrence for him so he instantly knew that it had something to do with his wife. "What's going on?" He questioned.

"Matthew, where's April?" Sloan asked with a sympathetic frown.

The stable boy swallowed harshly. "She's inside. Why?"

Sloan started towards the door and raised his hand when Matthew moved towards him. "Don't," he warned. "I don't want to do this but I have orders." He stepped inside the house and spotted April by the fire with her back to him.

The sound of armor alerted the red-head to an unfamiliar presence in her house. She turned around and her eyes widened in surprise. "Sir Sloan? What are you doing here?"

"You've been summoned to the castle, on the Queen's orders," he explained formally.

"The Queen's orders?" She repeated in confusion. She would have figured that any orders from the castle would come from Jackson, especially regarding her.

"Yes, my lady."

April smiled fondly at the man that she had known her entire life. "I'm no lady, Sir Sloan."

"You are to me," he replied softly. He didn't want anything to happen to the girl before him. She felt like family to him.

April wanted to resist, she never wanted to set foot in that castle again, but she knew that defying orders could be dangerous. Her best course of action was to go peacefully to the castle and talk to Jackson to find out what exactly was going on. Why was the new Queen summoning _her_? She untied her apron as she stated calmly, "Okay. I will go." She left her cozy new home with Sloan and Hunt in front of her and a guard that she didn't recognize behind her. He must be from the North.

When she stepped outside, she noticed that Matthew looked incredibly afraid. She smiled at him softly in reassurance. "I'll be back soon."

He tried to force a smile in return but it ended up looking more like a grimace.

April walked to the castle with a sense of dread in her stomach. She had a very bad feeling about this.

They lead her to Jackson's chambers and the guard that she didn't know roughly shoved her inside. She fell to the floor and scrambled to her feet just in time to see Jackson sit up in his bed.

"April?" He called.

She pushed her hair out of her face and peered up at him. He had clearly been in his bed for an extended period of time. He was bare of any clothes as far as her eyes could see and there was a faint smattering of stubble along his jaw. "What am I doing here?" She asked.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "I don't know." She stared at him in disbelief. "Honestly. But I'm so happy to see you. You didn't even say goodbye." His heart swelled at the mere sight of her. He regained the energy that he had lost. He felt happy again, and the key to his happiness was so completely and utterly obvious. It was rather pathetic.

Seeing him again was doing very funny things to her, she quickly remembered why she had needed to leave the castle in the first place, and she still didn't know why she was here. She hadn't even seen the Queen. "I h-have to go." She ran to the door, ignoring the call of her name, and tried to flee.

Unfortunately, she had just turned the corner when she encountered Jackson's bride. April halted quickly and curtsied. "Your grace."

"Finished so soon?" Alexandra inquired in a sugary sweet voice.

"Finished? I don't know what you mean, your grace," she replied in confusion.

Alexandra took a dramatic step towards her. "Have you not pleased your King?"

Now April was really confused. Exactly what had Queen Alexandra summoned her to the castle to do? "I'm not…I'm n-not sure," she stuttered.

The brunette scoffed in annoyance. "They didn't tell me you were an idiot." She had absolutely no idea what was so special about this girl.

April had to bite her tongue to keep a snappy retort down. She couldn't talk to a Queen like that, especially one from the North. She had heard stories of the harshness of Northerners.

"In order to be King," Alexandra continued, "my husband needs to be able to leave his bed and I'm told that you can solve that problem. Can you?"

"Your grace, I'm married," April tried to protest.

Alexandra smiled, and there was no mistaking that it had a sinister quality to it. "I'm sure your husband will understand that you were only doing what's best for the realm."

April gulped and, under the weight of the Queen's harsh gaze, began to walk back towards Jackson's chambers.

She was furious, and although she couldn't speak out against the Queen, she had no problem letting Jackson know how she felt. "You set your wife on me!" She screeched as she stomped towards him and smacked his chest.

He fell back onto the bed in surprise. "What? No! I didn't! I didn't know you were coming here." She still looked incredibly enraged so he grasped her hand and pulled her down so that she sat next to him on the bed. "I didn't," he whispered.

"So you didn't tell her that I have to_ please _you?" She spat.

He firmly shook his head. "No," he declared, "I didn't. I was trying to leave you alone."

"It didn't work," she chuckled softly. He laughed and opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off by pressing her lips to his. She held his face between her hands and pulled back after a moment. "Sorry," she whispered in embarrassment, "I had to do that."

"Don't apologize," he grinned. He took that initial kiss as a sign to do it again. He kissed her hungrily and muttered between kisses. "April…take off your clothes…let's be together…we're supposed to…I waited for you…"

She tried to pull away from him but he refused to let her go. "Jackson, I can't. I have a husband."

He bristled unhappily at the title. "Have you given yourself to him?" He asked with hard eyes.

"He's my _husband_," she answered. "What else was I supposed to do?"

His top lip curled into a sneer and he gripped her waist with one hand. "Did he make you quiver?"

She blushed fiercely and placed her hands firmly against his bare chest. "I don't have to answer that."

The truth was that it had been neither terrible nor pleasant. It had simply just been. Matthew was incredibly sweet and so there was no short of kisses, and he loved holding her. But she had expected to have more of a connection with her husband. It was incredibly childish of her, she knew that. She was comparing the feelings that she had for Matthew with her feelings for Jackson and they were just impossible to compare.

"Yes, you do," he retorted quickly. "Because you've always been mine and he knows that."

"Jackson," she sighed in frustration. "He's my husband. I've lain with him just like you have with Alexandra," she tried to reason.

"But I haven't lain with her," he admitted after a pause. "Because I wanted to be with you."

All of April's pent up anger and frustration dissipated and she exhaled heavily. She ran her fingers along his cheekbones as she frowned. "Jackson, you have to. She's your wife. You have to have children."

He leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. "Can I be with you first?"

How was she supposed to deny him such a request? This boy that she had loved for so long…that she knew loved her with all of his heart. Even though she knew that it was wrong, she wanted to be with him too. It would be a moment that had nothing to do with their stations in life and one that no one could take away from them.

She smiled before she kissed him passionately.

* * *

April laid her head on Jackson's chest and panted against his damp skin as he ran a hand along her naked back.

"What was that?" She giggled when she found enough breath.

He bit down on his lip to contain a smug grin. The truth was that Sloan had told him how to please a woman and he had been eager to try it out. He wasn't so egotistical that he believed that his minute or two of mind-blowing pleasure had done anything for April. "Just something I heard about," he answered innocently.

She raised her head and looked up at him with rosy cheeks. "My mother never told me about _that_. I didn't know you could do that with your tongue," she stated shyly. Matthew certainly didn't know either because he had never ventured to perform such an act. She ran her fingers along Jackson's well-toned chest as she pondered. "Could I do that to you?"

He smirked cheekily. "Are you asking for permission?"

She blushed and smacked his chest. "No…I, uh…I…"

He chuckled and cut off her rambling with a kiss. He threaded a hand through her thick hair and tugged her head forward so that they were eye level. She was now lying on top of him with her breasts pressed against his chest and he certainly couldn't complain about the position. "Stay the night?" He asked quietly. "Now that I've been inside you, I can't imagine feeling anything better."

"You shouldn't say things like that," she told him. He was supposed to be faithful to his wife and her to her husband, and yet Jackson felt more like her husband than Matthew ever would.

He rolled her beneath him and grinned down at her devilishly. "I'm the King; I can say whatever I want."

She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond but he smothered her mouth with his instead. He kissed her hungrily, his tongue sweeping inside of her mouth, but they were interrupted by the large, heavy door opening.

"Sloan, you should know better," he growled in annoyance as his eyes remained fixed on April. He had been immensely looking forward to being with her again. He was already aroused enough.

"I apologize, your grace," Sloan answered quickly as he turned his head to look out the window. "The Queen would like to speak with you."

Jackson wasn't even granted the opportunity to respond before Alexandra waltzed into his room with one of her guards trailing behind her. The young King scowled before he sat up and stared at her. "What?" He asked rather challengingly. She clearly didn't have a problem with him being with another woman, she had sent April to him after all. So why was she bothering him?

Alexandra's gaze shifted towards the woman in the bed with the blankets pulled up to her chin. "It's time for her to leave." She tilted her head towards her guard and the man took a step towards the bed.

"Don't take another step," Jackson commanded.

The Northerner halted before he sneered. "Sorry, your grace," he apologized derisively. "I take my orders from the Queen."

At the man's words, Jackson instantly recognized a flaw that neither he nor his mother had anticipated: the loyalty of Northerners to their own kind. They would serve the Queen, but they would not serve him. He gulped in fear; he may have made a grave error in marrying Alexandra. He had not considered all of the facts, and the girl that stood before him now was not the same one that had stepped out of the carriage before their first meeting. She was only showing her true colours now, and they were ugly.

April was yanked from his bed and thankfully Sloan was there to cover her up and preserve her modesty. He escorted her to the door and Jackson sent her a look of longing.

He felt like flying into a rage when April left with the two guards, leaving him alone with his wife. "What exactly was the meaning of that?"

"Maybe you'll focus on ruling now," she replied matter-of-factly. "Now that all of your attention is not_ elsewhere_."

Jackson wanted to pout but he felt that it was undignified. Kings were not supposed to pout. "I love her," he stated truthfully. "You should know that." He wanted to add that he would never love her the way that he loved April but he felt as if it was too harsh.

"And I let you have her," she replied with a fake smile. "And I can just as easily take her away."

Jackson narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying?" He asked slowly.

"I think you know," she answered meaningfully.

And he did. Her implication was clear, if he didn't start acting like a King then she would never let him see April again, or worse. He didn't even want to think about the things that Alexandra's men could do to her. He couldn't let anything happen to her, or her family, so Alexandra had him exactly where she wanted him. He would rule, and he would rule the way that she wanted him to. No more, no less.

She bowed to him mockingly. "I will see you at dinner, _my King_."

* * *

**A/N: I will post new one shots as the muse moves me. Feel free to send me your crazy AU ideas!**

**Please leave a review! :)**

**P.S. These are _one shots..._no more chapters. Don't ask! Lol.**


	2. Freaks and Geeks

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing the last one! I'm glad that you guys are open to these crazy ideas. So, this one wasn't really inspired by _The Big Bang Theory_ but I did imagine their apartment. Lol. And now, I present: nerd Jackson! Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: Same as always.**

* * *

Jackson focused his full attention on his breakfast as Meredith Grey pulled her shirt over her head as she sprinted across the apartment. He could feel his cheeks heat as he caught a flash of her bright red bra and it made his plate full of food all the more interesting. "Morning Meredith," he greeted quietly.

"Hey Jackson! I'm running really late so see you next week!" She called as she ran out the door.

"Bye Meredith," he called after her pointlessly.

He sighed as the door slammed shut and he turned back to his plate of toast and scrambled eggs. He readjusted his position on the stool at the island before he resumed eating. Most people would think that talking to beautiful women everyday would approve your social skills, but so far it hadn't worked for Jackson. He supposed the fact that the beautiful women were his roommate's conquests didn't help him. They were never interested in him to begin with.

But he had been living with Matthew Taylor for four years now, so he should be used to the endless parade of gorgeous women.

Yet he wasn't. Probably never would be.

On Monday mornings he saw Meredith Grey. Beautiful and mysterious. When she stayed to have breakfast with him he found her rather fascinating to converse with, she was rather insightful but also quite dark. As of last week, Tuesday mornings had been reserved for Cristina Yang. She was beautiful too, and brilliant, but very mean. Most of the time she had just ignored him. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to endure that anymore because Matthew had ended things with her, claiming that she was "too much of a downer". Wednesdays mornings, he made a special batch of coffee for Leah Murphy because she was always nice enough to ask. She was an energetic college student who was quick-witted and full of spunk. He liked her, and unsurprisingly, she was beautiful as well. Thursday mornings he stuttered his way through an interaction with Izzie Stevens. She was probably the most beautiful of all of Matthew's girlfriends. She was tall, blonde, and an underwear model. She was intimidating to say the least.

The weekends were Jackson's favourite time of the week because that's when he saw who Matthew referred to as his _real _girlfriend, April Kepner. She was beautiful and smart and kind, and perfect…and Jackson was head over heels for her. She treated Jackson like an equal, a friend even. She was working on her thesis in behavioural psychology so they were actually able to have an intelligent conversation. She had been dating Matthew for over a year and Jackson had no idea why they were even together. What did she see in him?

He rolled his eyes as he pondered the answer to his stupid question. Right, Matthew was dreamy. Women fell at his feet because he was tall and muscular with a charming smile and great hair. He was a model turned actor. He now had a recurring role in a daytime soap opera and his busy work schedule was probably what allowed him to sleep around without April getting suspicious. He was on set all day and he spent most of his nights learning lines and practicing his scenes, at least that's what he told his girlfriend. He reserved his weekends for her and that seemed to be enough for April, especially since she was incredibly busy as well.

Jackson didn't condone Matthew's actions but the guy was his friend. They had known each other for a long time and tattling on him would just be wrong, and he was afraid that he would hurt April by telling her the truth.

He couldn't bring himself to do that.

He was completely in love with the perky red-head and she was totally into Matthew, and Jackson couldn't really blame her. The guy seemed pretty perfect. He had to admit that aside from the whole sleeping with multiple women thing, Matthew treated April very well. He was sweet and affectionate with her, he bought her nice things, and took her on trips…and Jackson was well, he was just Jackson. He was tall and skinny with curly hair that was just a little too long. He had some muscle tone but he appeared lanky next to Matthew. He was socially awkward and struggled with talking to women; he usually just didn't have much in common with them. He wore large glasses because contacts irritated his eyes, he thought that his feet were way too large for his body, and he knew that he had a terrible fashion sense. Not to mention that his job wasn't exactly a babe magnet, he was a research chemist at Cal Tech. He had a PhD from MIT and an IQ of 185; most women were incredibly intimidated, or _annoyed_, by his intelligence.

He didn't exactly have women lining up for him, and it didn't matter anyway because he just wanted April.

"Hey man, good morning," Matthew greeted him as he strolled into the kitchen in just his boxers.

Jackson tried not to appear envious, or creepy, as his eyes roved over Matthew's chiselled upper body. "Hey," Jackson murmured. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good. I don't have to be on set until noon, which is why it sucks that Meredith had to go into work early."

Jackson screwed up his nose in distaste. "Yeah, that sucks," he agreed weakly.

"But it's okay because I'm going to meet up with April," he smiled.

Jackson's mood picked up instantly. "April's coming by?"

Matthew shook his head as he grabbed a carton of orange juice out of the refrigerator. "No, we're going to go out for breakfast. I think I'll take her to that little café she likes around the corner from UCLA."

The dark-skinned man held back a sigh. She really did love that place. "Sounds great."

Matthew nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I should take a quick shower first though. I'll see you later, man. Have a good day!"

"You too," Jackson responded.

He groaned aloud and smacked his forehead once his roommate was out of ear shot. He was never going to get the girl.

* * *

Jackson was startled when his morning routine was interrupted by a knock on the door. He was immediately confused. Hardly anyone visited him in the lab. He was essentially a hermit. He usually ate lunch in the cafeteria with a few coworkers but they were too busy in their own labs to visit him. He laid his pencil down on the lab bench and turned towards the door slowly. "Come in?" He called awkwardly.

The door opened and his breath hitched in his throat. April was his visitor. April…in all of her glory…with her gorgeous auburn hair, flawless skin, and bright smile. He instantly felt his throat constrict and his palms sweat. He pushed his glasses farther up his nose before he wiped his hands on his lab coat. "April…hi…uh, good morning," he cleared his throat and smiled. "Um, what's up?"

She smiled at him happily as she laid the bag slung over her shoulder on a nearby chair and removed her coat. "I wanted to talk to you." She walked towards the end of the lab bench and rested her elbows on the tabletop. She pushed her hair out of her face and batted her eyelashes at him. "And I kinda need a favour."

"Anything," he responded way too eagerly. He blushed and turned away to look at his clipboard. He pretended to look at his results and ponder their implications. "I mean, I think I'll have time, depends on what it is?"

She bit down on her lip nervously before she asked, "Can you read the final draft of my thesis?" Jackson was the smartest guy that she knew, which was why she wanted him to read it, and yet was so overwhelmingly nervous about giving it to him. What if he thought it was a pile of crap? What if he said that she needed to scrap everything and start over? "I would really appreciate it."

Jackson already knew that he was going to say yes. He would never deny her anything. "Yeah, sure, I can do that."

She squealed excitedly before she moved towards her bag and pulled out a folder. "Thank you! I think that it's still a little rough but I will appreciate any suggestions you have."

"I'm sure that it'll be great," he smiled confidently.

April was brilliant, she was a great writer and she had great ideas. They talked about science all the time, mostly when Matthew wasn't around. She was the one of the only women that he knew that he could talk about self-assembling nanostructures with.

She was just really great.

She placed the paper in front of him and began to explain what exactly she had written about and the format of her paper. Jackson, for the most part, zoned out on whatever she was saying and focused on her beautiful face. Her lips and her eyes…and he just knew that he could gaze at her for hours…and think about what it would be like to kiss her.

He snapped out of it when April giggled his name. "Jackson? Where did you go?"

He blushed and guiltily looked away. "Sorry," he murmured.

"Did all of the psychology bore you already?" She teased.

He knew that she was joking but he responded seriously. "I don't think your work is boring. I think it's awesome."

She smiled sweetly. "Thanks."

He needed a minute to breathe so he picked up her paper and carried it to his desk in the corner of the room. "So, I will read that and make some notes and give it back to you."

"That sounds great," she responded excitedly.

He nodded with a smile and expected her to leave, but she stayed. She was still leaning on his lab bench smiling at him. "I have another favour to ask you," she revealed after a moment.

"What is it?" He chuckled.

"Matthew's birthday is coming up and I was wondering if you could help me throw a surprise party for him."

Jackson forced the smile to remain on his face. He never forgot that April was Matthew's girlfriend, but any reminders still bothered him. "What do you have in mind?" He questioned tentatively.

"Just if you could, on Saturday, keep him out of the apartment for the day so that I can decorate and set up, and stuff," she explained.

He nodded as he looked down at his shoes. "Yeah, I can probably do that."

She smiled brightly and lunged forward to place a kiss on his cheek. "You're the best, Jackson!" He blushed traitorously but she didn't seem to notice as she chattered excitedly. "And you can invite whoever you want. You should definitely invite Lexie."

His eyes widened in confusion. "What? Why?" Why would April want him to invite Lexie the lab assistant to Matthew's party?

April grinned suggestively, "Jackson, she likes you."

He shook his head as he felt himself getting flustered. "Uh…I don't think so. We-we're friends…we're just friends."

"I think she does," the red-head giggled, "and why wouldn't she? You're a great guy." She stepped forward and gently pulled his lab goggles and glasses off of his face. "And you should show off those eyes more. They're lethal."

He smiled and tried to laugh it off, the truth was that her proximity was doing terrible things to him. "I'm as blind as a bat now." He knew that there were little things that he could change about himself that would make him appear more attractive, like wearing contacts. He had a pretty decent face; he just didn't see the point of changing. He wanted to be himself. He didn't want women to see him as just a pretty guy, like they saw Matthew.

She continued to stare into his gorgeous blue-green eyes and she could sense his unease. "Sorry, I'm making you uncomfortable. I should go now anyway. I'll see you later."

He thought about calling after her but ultimately decided against it. If he asked her to stay he would probably just make a fool out of himself anyway. Her leaving was for the best.

* * *

The next day Jackson returned home from work to find April cooking in their kitchen. Well, she was trying to cook, Matthew was a little too all over her for her to accomplish anything. She giggled loudly as he kissed her neck and the sound turned Jackson's stomach. He slammed the apartment door shut and the bang caught their attention.

They both turned around to face him and he forced a smile. "Hey."

"Hey man," Matthew grinned. "How was work? Blow anything up?" He joked.

"Hi Jackson," April giggled as Matthew's hands tickled her waist.

"What are you cooking?" Jackson inquired.

"Oh, just chicken alfredo and garlic bread," she answered. "It's almost done."

"Cool," Jackson answered as he took a seat on the sofa.

"I told her that she didn't have to come over and cook dinner," Matthew began, "but she insisted."

Jackson couldn't stop himself from thinking that Matthew was just lucky that he had cancelled his Monday night's romps with Cristina Yang. Otherwise, he would have to find a way to usher April out of the apartment sooner rather than later. But now she could stay here overnight and still not discover the truth about her boyfriend. And Jackson could revel in his extended state of misery.

After dinner, which was absolutely delicious, Matthew sat in the living room with a beer while Jackson helped April clean up.

He dried the dishes that she washed and carefully placed them in their designated spots. "Dinner was great, thanks," he told her quietly.

"No problem," she smiled. "I love to cook but it's not much fun cooking for just one. It's nice to come over here and cook for you guys." She looked over her shoulder at Matthew and her smile widened even further. "Besides, we're both so busy, it's good to spend time together whenever we can."

Jackson nodded as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Right. That makes sense."

"So," she began thoughtfully as she washed another plate. "I don't think I've ever asked. How long have you and Matthew lived together?"

"Four years," he replied. "I moved out here after I finished my PhD at MIT and this was the first place that I looked at. Matthew was still modelling at the time. He seemed like a nice enough guy and we both had busy schedules that worked well together. It was very much a setup of necessity but it worked. We're complete opposites but we're friends."

"Your friendship is really cute," April grinned. "You guys get along really well."

Jackson opened his mouth to respond but remained silent when her heard footsteps behind him. His roommate placed his empty beer bottle on the kitchen counter before he rested both of his hands on Jackson's shoulders. "I'm always trying to convince the guy to come out with me so that I can fix him up with a girl but he works too hard."

The chemist smiled good-naturedly with a shrug. "I'm just not in the market for a relationship right now," he lied.

Matthew chuckled. "Who said anything about a relationship? We can just find you a girl that'll make you have the IQ of a normal dude."

April gently smacked her boyfriend's chest. "Jackson's better than that. He doesn't want meaningless one night stands. Being in a relationship is much more fulfilling. Right, honey?" She asked Matthew as she kissed him lightly on the lips.

"You are entirely right," Matthew responded quickly.

Jackson managed to stop himself from making obnoxious gagging sounds as he watched them kiss. The irony was just entirely too much for him. He laid the dishtowel on the kitchen counter before he excused himself. "I'm going to go in my room and do some work."

"Bye Jackson," April called.

"Yeah, see ya later, man," Matthew added through kisses.

Four hours later, Jackson removed his headphones and stared down at the last paragraph of April's thesis with a smile. He had read her paper in one sitting, from beginning to end, and had enjoyed every word of it. He had made some suggestions and points of constructive criticism here and there but overall he thought that the entire thing was brilliant. Her research was fascinating and her writing was great.

She was just brilliant.

He wrapped his headphones around his IPod and laid the device on his bedside table. He decided that he would read through April's thesis one more time before going to bed.

He had just finished rereading the first page when he heard very distinct noises from Matthew's bedroom. Unfortunately, their rooms shared a wall.

"Jesus Christ," he murmured under his breath.

He hated listening to Matthew's extracurricular activities but it was exponentially worse when he knew that the woman with him was April…and April was _loud_. He could hear her panting and screaming Matthew's name and it made his skin crawl. He knew that the guy was good in bed but this was just ridiculous.

Jackson angrily hopped off of his bed and left his room. He headed to the living room, the room furthest away from Matthew's bedroom, and turned on the television. He channel surfed until he found a documentary about the atomic bomb on the History Channel. He turned it up loud enough to drown out any residual noise and wrapped himself in a blanket.

* * *

He was awoken early the next morning by April's hand on his shoulder. "Hey," she smiled, "what are you doing sleeping on the couch?"

Jackson looked around in confusion before he remembered why exactly he had moved from his room to the couch. "I…uh…I…this documentary was on…"

Her eyes lit up excitedly and she sat down next to him on the sofa. "What was it about?"

He tiredly scratched his face. He really needed to shave. "Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb."

She sighed in disappointment and smacked his leg. "Ah, you should have let me know it was on! I would have watched it with you!"

Jackson's eyes zeroed in on her hand, which was still resting on his calf, and for the first time he realized that she was sitting right next to him and he was wearing just his boxers and a plain, white t-shirt, with only a blanket covering his lap. He had never been this close to such a gorgeous woman in so little clothing. "Uhhh…you were...busy, I think," he finally responded.

April blushed in embarrassment and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I—"

Jackson waved his hand to get her to stop talking. He didn't want to talk about it because he didn't want to think about it. He glanced at his watch as he started to stand. "I should really get ready for work. I'll see you later."

He practically ran into the bathroom and April fell back against the couch with a sigh. They got along incredibly well but sometimes she got the impression that Jackson really didn't like her.

* * *

On Wednesday morning, Jackson woke up and looked forward to his morning coffee with Leah Murphy. She was the only woman that passed through this apartment that was aware that other women frequently passed through the apartment as well. Jackson didn't feel as if he had to hide anything from her and it was a relief.

She energetically pranced into the kitchen and greeted him with a smile. "Good morning Dr. Avery!"

He grinned as he poured her a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Leah. How are you?"

"I'm great. I don't have class until noon but I want to get a good workout in. What are you up to today?"

"The same as always," he answered dejectedly. "Just work."

"Researching stuff?" She teased.

He laughed, "Yeah, exactly." He turned towards the stove and asked, "Do you want me to make some eggs?"

Leah shook her head. "No, I'll get something to eat after the gym. What I really want is the name of the girl that you're in love with?"

"Uh…excuse me…w-what?" He stammered.

Leah grinned mischievously. "You're in love. It's written all over your face. And I'm willing to bet," she emphasized excitedly, "that it's someone you see on a regular basis. So who is it? Is it Monday morning girl Meredith Grey?"

Jackson responded to her dangerous line of questioning with a question. "It really doesn't bother you that he sleeps with other women and that you know their names?"

She shook her head and answered nonchalantly. "It really doesn't. It's just fun. I'm not serious about him. He's really good in bed but he's really not my type."

Jackson grimaced, "You really don't need to talk about how good in bed he is."

Leah threw back her head and laughed. "Sorry."

"I hear enough testimonials to that fact every night," he continued in annoyance.

The brunette raised an eyebrow in interest. "I hit a nerve. Well I know you're not in love with me," she stated confidently. "You'd be much more flustered right now if you were. So is it Izzie Stevens? She's a babe." He remained silent and refused to answer her. "April Kepner?" She tried next.

"Just stop asking questions," he finally spoke. "I am not in love with any of the women that my roommate is seeing."

"See I was willing to believe that until I mentioned April's name and you responded like that. You're in love with the girlfriend," she accused.

He shook his head adamantly. "No, no I'm not. April and I, we just…we just have a lot in common. We-we talk a lot and we're interested in the same things. B-but she really likes him so…so we're just friends."

Leah stared at him sympathetically. "I'm so sorry. I was just teasing, I didn't know that you really loved her but obviously you do."

He thrummed his fingertips against the tabletop of the island. "Yeah, I do," he whispered. "But it doesn't matter."

"Of course it does," she argued. "Just tell her. Let her know. Give her a choice."

He sighed, "She really likes him. It won't matter."

"Let her decide that," Leah persisted. She finished her cup of coffee and leaped over the island so that she could place an over exaggerated kiss on his cheek. "Smart and sweet are the new sexy!" She chimed as she grabbed her bag and headed towards the door.

She left and Jackson frowned to himself. "Yeah, right," he muttered.

* * *

Saturday, the day of Matthew's surprise birthday party arrived, and Jackson spent the morning searching his brain for ways that he could get his roommate out of the apartment for a considerable amount of time. He had promised April that he would get Matthew out of their place by at least two o'clock. But so far he didn't have any ideas.

Matthew strolled out of bed just after noon and lazily scratched his bare stomach as he mumbled a greeting.

Jackson energetically jumped off of the couch and ran into the kitchen. "Happy birthday, man."

"Thanks," Matthew smiled as he turned on the coffee pot.

"So," Jackson began, "what are you gonna do today?"

The taller man shrugged. "I dunno. I might go to the gym. Izzie texted me this morning so I might meet up with her." He turned to Jackson with a grin as a thought struck him. "April said she has a present that she wants to give me tonight. Man, I hope its lingerie."

Jackson hid his uncomfortable expression. "Do you wanna go to a movie today or something? Just us guys."

Matthew chuckled, "I love you, man, but there are more exciting ways to spend my birthday."

The dark-skinned man rolled his eyes before he blurted out the truth. "April is throwing you a surprise party tonight and it's my job to get you out of the apartment this afternoon!"

His eyes widened. "She's throwing me a party?" He questioned with a smile.

Jackson nodded and replied quietly, "Yeah, she is. She really cares about you, Matthew."

"I really care about her too," he responded instantly. Jackson raised an eyebrow and Matthew spoke as if he was offended. "I do! I know I don't show it a lot but I do. She's amazing."

Jackson bristled in annoyance and his face flushed in anger. If he cared about her so much and thought that she was amazing then why did he need to see other women? Jackson really didn't understand. If April was his, he wouldn't even think about other women.

"Let's just go to the movies," he grumbled.

"Do you have something to say?" Matthew probed.

Jackson shook his head and lied. "Nope. Not at all."

* * *

During the party, Jackson stood in the corner of his kitchen next to one of his friends from work, Alex Karev. He and Karev were in similar fields of study so they often collaborated on projects and exchanged ideas. They were also similar in a lot of other ways. In other words, Alex was a geek just like him with large glasses and awkward mannerisms.

Matthew had appeared appropriately surprised and then he had proceeded to make out with April in front of everyone. Their apartment was crowded with a lot of Matthew's friends and some of the cast and crew of his soap opera. April had invited a few of her friends as well and some of Jackson's coworkers were here. There was birthday cake and snacks, and lots and lots of alcohol. Jackson was already two drinks in and he had a feeling he was going to get very drunk tonight.

He just couldn't stand watching April and Matthew together. It seemed as if he had reached his boiling point, his level of tolerance had expired, and he just couldn't watch them together anymore, not knowing what he knew.

"There are so many beautiful women here," Alex stated nervously.

Jackson nodded in agreement as he focused on April. "Yeah, some of Matthew's co-stars are here. Soap operas are full of pretty people," he said bitterly.

"Who's that brunette over there?" Alex asked.

Jackson tore his gaze away from the red-head and tried to figure out who Alex was referring to. He finally realized who his friend's eyes were trained on and he couldn't help but release a chuckle. "Oh that's Leah Murphy. She's a _friend_ of Matthew's." He had invited Leah to the party because he liked her and because he knew that she wouldn't be a source of drama, and perhaps a small part of him hoped that she would say something to April.

"She kinda looks like Sandra Bullock, don't ya think?"

"A little," Jackson shrugged. He looked down into his empty class in disappointment. "I'm empty. Do you want another drink?"

"No, thanks." Jackson took a step forward but Alex grabbed his arm in alarm. "Dude," he began, "you can't leave me here alone. What if she comes over to talk to me?"

"Then talk about your research or something," he shrugged. "I don't know! Why are you asking me? I have as much luck with women as you do!"

Jackson walked off in frustration and headed towards the table with all of the liquor bottles on it. He wasn't much of a drinker but tonight he would be.

A few hours later, he was very intoxicated and in dire need of the facilities. He stumbled to the bathroom and knocked on the closed door. "Come out please!" He demanded.

The door flung open and he was greeted by the sight of Alex, glasses askew, with a slender brunette wrapped around him. His friend was clearly enjoying himself, returning the woman's kisses hungrily. It took Jackson a moment to realize that the woman was Leah.

The couple finally broke apart for air and Jackson stared at them in shock. Alex looked back at him with a shit-eating grin and Leah offered him a smile.

"Hey Jackson, we'll just be going now," she stated.

"We will?" Alex asked eagerly.

She nodded. "We will." She grabbed his hand and tugged him down the hallway.

"So that's your type?" Jackson called after her.

"I told you!" She yelled back over her shoulder. "Smart and sweet are the new sexy!"

Jackson shook his head in disbelief as they disappeared around the corner and he stepped into the bathroom. Alex, of all people, was getting lucky tonight. He couldn't believe it.

After doing his business, he left the bathroom and practically bowled over April in the hallway. "Oh! I'm so sorry," he apologized as he gripped her shoulders.

"It's okay," she laughed. "I'm fine. No harm done."

Jackson smiled uncontrollably as he looked down at her. He really wanted to say _it_. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her. "April, can I talk to you?" He asked nervously.

She nodded. "Yeah, sure, but can I pee first?"

"Y-yeah, of course," he stuttered. "I'll be in my room."

He walked into his bedroom and sat down on the end of his bed. He wiped his sweaty palms on his slacks as he anxiously waited for April to join him. It was probably just the alcohol talking but he felt that now was his opportunity and he would regret it if he didn't tell her that he loved her tonight.

He was in the middle of fidgeting with the placement of his glasses when his door opened and April stepped inside his room.

She began to speak before he got the opportunity to start. "I just wanted to thank you again for helping me with this! I really appreciate it and everyone's enjoying themselves! Matthew was surprised, huh?" She laughed.

He nodded and lied, "Yes, he was. He never saw it coming."

"Great," she giggled. "That's really great. I've wanted to do something like this for him for a while. I feel like we're getting really serious and—"

"No, you're not," Jackson interrupted her in frustration. "You're not getting serious."

She looked at him in surprise. His voice had taken on a cold edge that she had never heard before. "Jackson," she replied calmly, "I don't think you really have the right to judge. What's going on in mine and Matthew's relationship is between me and Matthew."

"Yeah, and the three other women he's sleeping with," he angrily bit out.

"Um, excuse me?" April squeaked.

Jackson's voice grew softer as he gazed at her. He hadn't meant to just blurt that out. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to tell you like that."

She gulped for air as she fought back a barrage of tears. She felt as if her entire world had just been turned upside down. She would have never considered herself to be a naïve individual but apparently she was incredibly easy to dupe. Matthew would have some pretty lame excuses for why he couldn't spend time with her at times but she had never imagined that he was seeing other people. She always figured that he was tired from filming, or he just wanted some time to himself.

She had really been falling for him and now she felt like an idiot.

"How long has he been sleeping with other women?" She asked shakily.

"Since you've started dating," Jackson answered reluctantly. "He's never been with just one woman since I've known him. I'm sorry."

Well now she felt like an even bigger idiot. She took a long moment to think before she asked, "And you knew this whole time and you never told me?" She had thought that she and Jackson were friends. She had thought that he would at least have the decency to tell her something like _this_.

"I-I d-didn't…I didn't want to hurt you," he responded genuinely. "I care about you…_a lot_."

She scoffed, "Yet you didn't tell me that my boyfriend was making a fool out of me?" She jumped to her feet in anger and headed towards the door.

"April, wait, please!" He called. She stopped at the door and spun around to face him. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you and I didn't want to tell you because I thought maybe you'd think I had ulterior motives."

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "What? Why would I think that?"

"Because…because…because…" He took a deep breath and bravely trudged forward. "Because I love you."

Jackson grew nervous as more time passed in silence. The way that April stared at him made it very clear that she had had no idea. She had not seen this coming.

She looked at the man in front of her, sitting on his bed in his black slacks, white shirt, and black bowtie and she just couldn't wrap her head around what he was saying. He was so different from Matthew. Jackson had half of Matthew's confidence and half of his charm. He wore white socks with black pants for God's sake! And this man was in love with her?

"Jackson…"

As soon as she spoke he knew that it wasn't good news. He could tell by the tone of her voice that she was trying to figure out a way to let him down easy. "It's okay," he butt in. "You don't have to say anything else. I get it." He grabbed her thesis off of his bedside table and brought it to her. "There you go. I'm done with it. It's really good," he muttered.

He reached for the doorknob and she tried to stop him from leaving by placing her hand on top of his. "Jackson, wait a second, don't leave."

He plastered a smile on his face. "Really, its fine. We can just pretend that this never happened. It's not a big deal."

* * *

Jackson went for a long walk and when he returned to the apartment all of the party guests had left and he could hear that Matthew and April were in the middle of an argument. He took no joy in their fighting, he just felt empty.

He hid in his room until late the next day and when he finally asked Matthew what happened between them he said that April had dumped him after finding messages from other women on his phone. Jackson wasn't sure what to make of the fact that April hadn't revealed that he had told her the truth.

Matthew seemed a little down about the breakup but Jackson knew that he would rebound quickly. He always did. He could have any woman that he wanted; he would find a replacement quickly and hopefully Jackson wouldn't fall in love with her.

Monday morning at work, he learned from Alex that what had happened between him and Leah had not been a one night stand. So Jackson began to see Leah on a fairly regular basis instead of just on Wednesday mornings. He was happy for his friend but he couldn't help but envy him too.

Not long after that, Matthew ended things with Meredith Grey and started to exclusively date Izzie Stevens. His roommate was definitely struggling with monogamy but he was making a real effort, and he asked Jackson for advice regularly. Jackson had to admit that he was rather proud of the guy. Matthew wasn't actually half as sleazy as he had appeared when he had been seeing multiple women. He was actually a pretty good guy; he just enjoyed women a little too much.

A lot of things around Jackson had changed in the three months since Matthew's birthday but his life had stayed virtually the same. He still had the same everyday routine, he still worked too much, and he was still single. He hadn't seen April since that night and he was too scared to call her.

He had given up all hope of ever seeing her again on the very day that she showed up at his lab.

He almost dropped the beaker that he was holding when he turned his head and found her standing in the doorway. "A-April?"

She smiled and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "Hi, how are you?"

"I'm good. How are you?" He was honestly too shocked to say anything else. A part of him was convinced that he was hallucinating. It wouldn't be the first time that he had imagined April showing up out of nowhere looking gorgeous. "You look nice," he gulped. She was wearing a black pants suit and a white blouse. Her hair was curled and she was also wearing heels. She looked very professional but also very sexy.

"Thank you. I defended my thesis today," she told him.

"How did it go?" He asked curiously.

"It went great," she grinned. "Your comments really helped a lot. I couldn't have done it without you."

He awkwardly shuffled his feet as he responded, "Glad I could help." He nervously bit down on his bottom lip before he brought up the elephant in the room. "I'm sorry about you and Matthew, I know—"

She stepped up to him, grabbed his face in both hands, and pressed her mouth to his to prevent him from saying anything else. When the kiss ended, she placed both of her hands on his chest and grinned up at him. "We don't need to talk about that."

It had taken her a few weeks to realize that she had not acted appropriately to either of Jackson's confessions. She couldn't blame him for not telling her about Matthew's indiscretions. He had been protecting her while remaining loyal to his friend. It had been a tough position for him to be in. And she had been so taken aback by his declaration of love that she hadn't known how to respond. As more time passed, she realized how stupid she had been. A girl couldn't do any better than Jackson Avery. He was the smartest and sweetest guy that she had ever met.

…And she had feelings for him too. She wasn't in love with him yet but she could be.

So as soon as her thesis defense had ended, she knew exactly where she needed to go and who she needed to see.

Jackson was absolutely speechless. He had no idea what to say. She had just kissed him. He had thought about this for a long time and now he had no idea what to do. He felt very stupid for the first time in his life.

"Are you going to say something?" She giggled.

He licked his lips as he raised his hands to rest on her waist. "I don't know what to say. Help me out," he chuckled. April moved her mouth to his ear and began to nibble on his earlobe. "Okay," he swallowed, "I'm not going to be able to say anything if you keep doing that."

She giggled again and pressed her face against his neck. He was too cute for words. "Did you really mean what you said?" She asked seriously. "That you love me?"

"Yeah," he answered quickly. "I do love you."

April responded by kissing him hungrily and he gladly went along with her. She pushed his lab coat off of his shoulders as she walked him back towards his desk. He chuckled awkwardly as his butt collided with the wooden edge but it didn't draw his focus away from the task at hand. He threaded a hand through her hair as he enthusiastically pulled her bottom lip into his mouth.

He couldn't believe that he was actually doing this…in his lab…with April…

Maybe he _was _dreaming.

"Is your lab bench safe to sit on?" She breathed.

He nodded even though he was confused by her question. "Yeah, of course. I just cleaned up from an experiment actually."

She grinned at him devilishly before she walked backwards and jumped up onto the bench. She grabbed his hand and pulled him forward so that he was standing between her legs. She ran her hands over his newly shaved head, which she was definitely a fan of, before she started to unbutton his shirt. His lips were attached to her neck as he blazed a trail down to her cleavage.

He had no idea what he was doing but he was certainly enjoying it.

He pulled away so that he could look her in the eye when he felt her tug on his belt. "Are we…I mean, are we gonna…?" He trailed off and his cheeks flushed.

"Yeah," she panted, "if you want to that is."

"Of course I do!" He responded quickly. "Just maybe…um…we should go to a bed for our first time?"

"You are so unbelievably sweet," she muttered through kisses. She pulled his shirt wide open and ran her fingertips down his torso. "Wow," she whispered. She had no idea that he was so toned and defined, probably nobody knew. "Or we could just go to a bed later?" Her voice was thick and laden with arousal.

She was looking at him with dark eyes, flushed cheeks, and plump lips. He didn't have the self-control to say no. "Yeah, that sounds good." He eagerly returned his mouth to hers as he pushed her blazer off of her shoulders. "Yeah…bed later. Much better idea."

* * *

**A/N: Please leave a review! :)**


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